Smoke dissipating ash tray



y 2, 1956 J. H. HAMMOND, JR 2,747,101

SMOKE DISSIPATING ASH TRAY Filed Feb. 2, 1955 INVENTOR. Jom HAYS HAMMOND JR Fig. 1

United States Patent SMOKE DISSIPATING ASH TRAY John Hays Hammond, J12, Gloucester, Mass. Application February 2, 1953, Serial No. 334,594-

6 Claims. (Cl. 250-48) This invention relates to ash trays and more particularly to an ash tray assembly having-smoke dissipating and sterilizing means associated therewith.-

The invention provides novel and improved means for circulatingair and smoke from an ash tray along the path of ultraviolet rays for dissipating the smoke and'sterilizing the air and then returning the air to the room.

The invention also consists in certain-new and original features of construction and'combinations of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

The nature'of the'invention, as to its objects and advantages, the mode of its operation and the manner of its organization, may be better understood by referring to the following'description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sideelevation, partly insection, of an ash tray with an aircirculatingdevice constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a partial vertical section, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 with the covers in open position.

Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

In the following description parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be generic in their application to similar parts.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, a cylindrical casing 11 is mounted on a circular base 12. At the bottom of the casing 11 are a plurality of air discharge openings 13. Hinged to the top of the casing 11 and forming a. continuation thereof is a cylindrical housing 14 at the top of which is mounted an annular plate 15 provided with a plurality of openings 16. Carried by the housing 14 is a fan 17 which is driven by a motor 18 mounted on a circular plate 19 secured to the housing 14. A plurality of holes 20 are provided in the circular plate 19 Axially mounted in the center of the casing 11 is lamp 21 such as a lamp capable of producing ultra-violet rays within the germicidal band. At the bottom this lamp 21 fits into a socket 22 mounted on a circular block of insulation 23 which in turn is mounted on a circular plate 24 which is secured to the casing 11. At the top the lamp 21 is held by a socket 25 which is hinged to an arm 26 which in turn is hinged to the casing 11. Mounted coaxially around the lamp 21 is a spiral vane 23 made of metal or other suitable material. Both ends of the spiral vane are open so that air may flow down the helical passages around the lamp 21 in the range of influence of the germicidal rays.

Mounted on the plate 19 is an annular ring 31 into which fits an ash receptacle 32. Also mounted on the plate 19 are two brackets 33 and 34. Pivotally mounted on the brackets 33 and 34 are two spherically shaped covers 35 and 36 which are provided with meshing gear segments 47 and 48; The'cover 35 is providedwitha handle 37. Secured to the covers 35 and 36 are pins 38 and 39 between which is mounted a tension spring 41 to hold'the covers in closed or open positions. Mounted on the bracket 33 is a block of insulation 42 to which are attached two contacts 43 and 44. Secured to the covers 35 and 36 are members 45 and 4-6 made of'in'sulating material which are adopted to engage the contacts 43 and 44 to close the same when the covers are in open positions as shown in Fig. 4.

The contact 43 is connected'by a'conductor 51 to. terminal 52 of fan motor 18 theother terminal 53 of which is connected by a conductor 54 to one wire of an electric cord 55 the other wire of which is connected by a conductor 56' to the contact 44. The conductor 51 is connected by branch conductor 57 and the conductor 54 is connected by branch conductor 53 to the standard electrical equipment (not shown) associated with the lamp 21. The free end of cord 55 is connected to the usual plug 59.

The plate 24 is provided with a large port 61 covered by a hinged valve 62 held in the closed position by a lighttension spring 63. Engaging the valve 62 is one end of an L shaped latch.64, which is pivoted to a bracket 65 mounted on the base 12, and is held in latching position by a tension spring 66. Mounted on the plate 24 is a bellows 67 which-is normally held in contracted position by a spring68. The-interior of this bellows is connected by a largeport '71and'a small bleed'port 72' to the light chamber 69; The large port 71 is covered by a flap valve 73 of'leather or other suitable material.

Operation In the operation of the form of the invention shown in the accompanying figures, when it is desired to use the ash tray the cover 35 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 1, by means of the handle 37, which by means of the meshing gear segments 47 and 48 causes a corresponding clockwise rotation of the cover 36 into the position shown in Fig. 4. When the covers 35 and 36 move into the positions shown in Fig. 4, the members 45 and 46 will cause the contacts 43 and 44 to engage, thus closing a circuit thru the fan motor 18 and the lamp 21, thus causing the fan 17 to rotate and the lamp 21 to light.

This will cause air and any smoke from the ash tray 32 to be drawn through the series of holes 16 in the plate 15 and the series of holes 20 in the plate 19 and downwardly along a helical path around the lamp 2.1 where the action of the ultraviolet rays will cause the smoke to be dissipated and the air sterilized. As the fan 17 pushes the air downward a pressure will be built up at the lower end of the light chamber 69. As this pressure builds up, it will cause air to gradually seep through the bleed port 72 into the interior of bellows 67 which in turn will gradually expand against the action of spring 68. When the bellows 67 is neariy fully expanded, it will engage the L-shaped latch 64 causing it to rotate in a counterclockwise direction against the action of spring 66 until it releases the valve 62 which will then open under the action of the air pressure in the chamber 69, allowing this air to escape into the lower chamber and out thru the openings 13 into the room. As the air pressure is relieved in the chamber 69, the flap valve 73 will open allowing the air to exhaust from the bellows 67 which will be deflated under the action of springs 68. At the same time, the valve 62 will be returned to its closed position by spring 63 and the L-shaped latch 64 will return to latching position under action of spring 65.

The entire mechanism will now be in its initial position and the above action will be repeated. In this way,

Patented May 22,. 1-956 air and smoke will be drawn into the helical space around the lamp 21 where it will be acted on by the ultra-violet rays for a definite time, dependent on the size of the bleed port 72, until the smoke has been dissipated and the air sterilized, then it will be discharged back into the room. This action will be repeated as long as the covers 35, 36, remain open. When these covers are closed, however, and returned to the position in Fig. l the electrical circuit thru the contacts 43 and 44 will be broken and the fan motor 18 and fan 17 will stop and the lamp 21 will be extinguished. When it is desired to change the lamp 21 the housing 14 is opened and the member 25 is lifted, the lamp 21 removed and a new lamp inserted in its place.

Although only a few of the various forms in which this invention may be embodied have been shown herein, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any specific construction but may be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described, a cylindrical casing, a lamp of the type producing ultra-violet rays in the germicidal band mounted axially of said casing, helical vanes disposed around said lamp to form helical air passages within said casing, a bottom closure plate for said casing having an air discharge port, valve means closing said port, means responsive to a predetermined air pressure within said casing to open said valve means and allow said air to discharge, and blower means drawing air from outside of said casing and forcing said air along said helical air passages, whereby said air is exposed to the action of said ultraviolet rays for a period of time required to build up said predetermined pressure.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 in which said blower means comprises a fan and a motor connected to drive said fan, and switch means connected to energize said lamp and said motor simultaneously.

3. The invention set forth in claim 2 including a movable cover for said casing, and means actuated by said cover when in open position to close said switch.

4. The invention set forth in claim 1 including an ash tray disposed in said casing whereby air is drawn from said ash tray into said casing by said blower means.

5. The invention set forth in claim 4 including a movable cover for said ash tray, and switch means actuated by said cover and connected to control the energization of said blower means and said lamp.

6. In a device of the character described, a cylindrical casing, a lamp of the type producing ultra-violet rays in the germicidal band mounted axially of said casing, helical vanes disposed around said lamp to form helical air passages within said casing, a bottom closure plate for said casing having an air discharge port, valve means closing said port, means responsive to a predetermined air pressure within said casing to open said valve means and allow said air to discharge, and blower means drawing air from outside of said casing and forcing said air along said helical air passages, whereby said air is ex posed to the action of said ultraviolet rays for a period of time required to build up said predetermined pressure, said pressure responsive means comprising a latch for said valve means and a bellows responsive to said air pressure connected to release said latch when said pressure reaches the predetermined value.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,249,982 Markel Dec. 11, 1917 1,600,522 Strehlke Sept. 21, 1926 2,141,923 McMahan Dec. 27, 1938 2,248,618 Fischer July 8, 1941 2,644,467 Breidert July 7, 1953 

